Lockdown

Since the outbreak of a devastating plague 2060, Earth underwent colossal changes. Life forms evolved, and humans descended from their dominant position, losing their god-like status.

Numerous evolved creatures gained terrifying destructive abilities. There were bloodthirsty colossi with mountainous forms, and frost-spewing Icefang Alphas. In the face of these apex evolved beings, even humanity's ultimate weapon, nuclear warheads, proved powerless. To protect themselves, humans had to relinquish much of their land, erecting towering walls for their defense.

Assisted by the cosmic force, humans could harness the energy it contained. Thus, a special group known as "Awakeners" emerged. They possessed various magical abilities, with the mightiest among them capable of rivaling legendary evolved creatures. This maintained humanity's last hope and allowed them to thrive within the protective walls.

After 2060 of the Era of Desolation, the teacher vividly recounted history in the classroom. Students diligently took notes, envisioning a future as Awakeners.

In this era, Awakeners became the most esteemed group. Even the lowest-tier Awakeners were bestowed with the title "Human Guardians." For Duke's classmates, becoming an Awakener meant standing out and achieving fame.

In a month, the approaching "Awakening Day" would see the government calling upon children around 18 years old for Awakening tests. Lucky ones would awaken their latent potential and become Awakeners.

However, Duke, lost in thought at his desk, wasn't thinking that far ahead. He just wanted a better life for himself and his sister, far away from the violence and crime-ridden slums. Classroom hours seemed endlessly long. The homeroom teacher continued to speak from the podium.

"If our class can produce two Awakeners, I'd wake up from dreams laughing. But other students, don't lose faith either. This path isn't as rosy as you imagine. Besides battling monsters in the wild, you must be wary of becoming Infected."

"Could someone explain what an Infected is?" a student raised their hand.

"People who survived the plague are all infected by a mutated virus. Once they are impatient and become awakened, the virus will take control of their brains, turning them into creatures that feed on human flesh. If they scratch or bite you, even if you don't die, you will also turn into something resembling a zombie within a short period of time."

Jim nodded in approval, while Duke looked out of the window. Becoming an Awakener was no longer his aspiration. The educational institution was essentially a former college. However, if he wanted to attend, he couldn't afford the fees, and the school wouldn't allow him to bring his sister to the dormitory.

As the sun set in the west, a few beams of lingering sunlight illuminated the yellowed textbooks. In the classroom, only a few people remained. Duke packed his bag neatly and silently made his way to the corner of the room. There were some broken white pebbles in the trash can. He carefully selected these small stones and then wrapped them carefully in a piece of paper."

These small stones were the raw stone mentioned by the teacher, items that aided the rapid absorption of cosmic force within the human body. Only with higher gems could one reach the critical point of breakthrough, increasing the chance of becoming an Awakener. Students from more well-off families usually carried them around, discarding them once they had absorbed enough.

However, Duke couldn't afford to buy them. So, every day after school, he would pick up discarded waste raw stone left behind by his classmates and absorb their meager cosmic force. Once done, he would leave school and head towards the outskirts of the city.

Despite the presence of Awakeners among humanity, their overall strength wasn't on par with the monsters in the wild. As a result, massive walls had been erected around the main cities to fend off mutant beasts.

However, land was scarce within the walls, and not everyone could afford housing. Duke walked through a dim small door along the wall's edge, venturing outside.

In reality, beyond the door lay the wilderness. However, due to not everyone being able to afford housing within the city walls, gradually, not far from the city walls, shantytowns began to form. While lacking the protection of the walls, they at least provided some shelter.

  At the wall's edge, Duke looked toward an empty courtyard not far away.Once, this had been his home. However, three years ago, his father, an Awakener, vanished suddenly, and the other members of his team died under mysterious circumstances. After an unsuccessful investigation, his father was labeled a traitor to humanity, and his team's deaths were connected to him.

Consequently, Duke and his sister were cast out, and their belongings were confiscated. That year, he was 15, and his sister Monica was 10. 

Walking along a familiar path, he suddenly noticed that a crowd had gathered outside. He squeezed his way to the front and realized that armored inspectors were using riot shields to drive people away from the slums of Zone C.

"Restricted Zone?" Duke noticed a nearby sign.

"Two Infected individuals ran in there. No one inside is allowed to leave until they're caught."

"Infected individuals ?" Duke's eyes widened, and he pushed through the crowd, walking toward the scene. While those outside murmured in hushed tones, those inside the wire fence were pushing their way out.

"Let us out!"

"There are Infected in there, but we're not! I don't want to be eaten!"

"Please, I can stay, just let my child out!"

Zone C's shantytown held several thousand people, and now they clung to the iron gate, crying out in despair. Every one of them knew how terrifying the Infected were. Instances of Infected appearing in other slums had led to the consumption of over a hundred civilians' flesh.

Duke's gaze swept over the crowd, and he saw a frail young girl in a thin linen dress, her long hair pinned up. She too was clutching the iron gate, gazing outside with confusion. Seeing her, Duke felt a weight lift off his shoulders.